Scheda volume

A short dictionary of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy

Andrea SEGR�

1999, 264 pagine, formato 15x21 cm, € 10.00
ISBN 88-371-1128-2

Since its initial stages the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has become increasingly complex. In recent years, further dimensions reflecting the various facets of agricultural in the European Union (EU), its regional and national diversity and the need to take the consumer into account, environmental and rural concerns, have added difficulty to the already formidable problem of understanding the CAP and related mechanism. The body of EU legislation grew in parallel, adding other difficulties in keeping up with the new developments. The matter is actually somewhat impenetrable. CAP should thus be considered as a discipline, a part of the field of Agricultural Economics. This short dictionary only provides a brief explanation of the basic CAP terminology. The extent of each entry has been determined by the need for definition of meaning, function and relevance. Some relevant related isuues, i.e., custom union, and principles, i.e. four freedoms, are also brief considered. When appropriate, the main references to the body of legislation are then reported. To better understand the current mechanism of agricultural and related policies, dictionary items are also supported with some historical background as well as with few statistical information. To facilitate consultation most terms are cross-referenced and presented in alphabetical order. Oreover, since alphabetical order is not a logic order, one could use this dictiopnaty as a systematic text-book, just reorganising the items included (a scheme example is reported elsewher). The list of definitions is indexed at the end of the dictionary. This dictionary is non-exhaustive and should be considered just as a tool - a "first aid tool" - to help Central and Eastern European students, researchers, ministerial staff and reopresentatuves of agricultural organisations in the difficult task of approaching and understanding such a complicated field in view of the upcoming enlargement of the EU. However this dictionary could be also intended as a reference source to all those involved in, or associated with, CAP.
A. Segr� is Associate Professor of agricultural economics at the University of Bologna, italy. He was wide research experience in the transition process of the Central East European Agriculture.